In a strongly worded statement issued on August 19th, 2024, Hon. Obi Aguocha, member representing Ikwuano, Umuahia North, and Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, rebuked his colleague from the Abia Caucus over recent remarks suggesting that Abia State will become an APC State in 2027......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
Hon. Aguocha expressed shock and disappointment at the statements made by his colleague, who serves as the Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, describing them as “condescending, denigrating, and disrespectful.”
Hon. Aguocha emphasized that the open declaration against Governor Alex Otti, the Labour Party, and the people of Abia State was not only inappropriate but also a display of “brazenness and rabid indiscretion.”
He criticized the Deputy Speaker’s repeated assertions of being “No. 6 in the leadership hierarchy” of the Federal Government, suggesting that such remarks undermine the dignity of his position.
The Deputy Speaker, who represents Bende Federal Constituency, had asserted that it was his duty to deliver Abia State to the APC in 2027, in part as a payback for the political patronage extended to the Southeast by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. In response, Hon. Aguocha warned against such “pugnacious instability” and reminded his colleague that the governorship seat in Abia State is not up for grabs.
“While we elected you to be our Deputy Speaker, it does not confer on you an audacity to declare vacant the seat of the governor of Abia State in 2027,” Hon. Aguocha stated.
He further noted that, despite the Deputy Speaker’s assertions, Abians are expected to repay Governor Alex Otti for his achievements, not only at the polls but through continued support for his administration.
Hon. Aguocha also took the opportunity to remind his colleague that the Labour Party had overwhelmingly won Bende Federal Constituency in the 2023 elections, suggesting that the APC’s influence in the state remains minimal. He urged the Deputy Speaker to focus on his legislative duties and use his influential position to reduce the marginalization and agitation within the Southeast, rather than engage in divisive rhetoric.
The statement concluded with a caution that any attempt to undermine the progress made by Governor Alex Otti would be met with strong resistance.
“Abia people are still safe and will remain so with a high-performing Alex Otti by 2027 and beyond,” Aguocha declared.
Aguocha serves as the Chairman of the House Committee on Monitoring and Evaluation of all Standing and Ad-Hoc Committees in the 10th House of Representatives.